The FIS World Championships kick off this weekend with snowboardcross, skicross and team snowboardcross at Solitude Mountain resort and the opening ceremonies and Freeski Big Air Final at the Canyons Village. Amongst all the athletes that will be competing from now until the 10th of February, 38 have ties to Park City.
38 athletes with Park City ties are competing in the FIS World Championships taking place at Deer Valley, Park City Mountain and Solitude resorts. 24 of these athletes have trained with local teams while the other 14 live in Park City due to training opportunities. Youth Sports Alliance Executive Director Emily Fisher says the organization is excited to see their efforts to cultivate local talent result in local kids competing at the highest level.
“We’re really excited that there’s actually five athletes that have received direct funding from the Stein Erickson endowment that have made that world championship team. So just really exciting to see that the funding that we’ve put into the local community is now competing on the world stage.”
Jade Thurgood, Brad Wilson, Bubba Newby, Ness Dziemian and Sam Ward are the five competing who have received funding from YSA.
Fisher said they were excited to see how all the Park City athletes fair in the FIS World Championships. Fisher highlighted a few of the many athletes competing.
“We are excited to watch McRae Williams. He’s a local kid who came up through Park City Ski and Snowboard and went to Park City School district. He is the reigning world champion so hopefully he will be able to repeat in his hometown, that would be really exciting. Also, one of the youngest members of the team is Jade Thurgood and she came through the Park City Ski and Snowboard as well. Just really excited to see her compete again in her hometown and she’s a scholarship recipient. A couple of the athletes have had great success at X-Games they’re coming in. Maggie Voisin and Alex Hall. Maggie won a bronze medal at the X-Games and Alex Hall won a gold medal so they’re coming in with great momentum. Then again just a lot of local athletes that have already had success and then some that are competing at their first major international event so I’m excited to watch them all.”
The FIS World Championship is the largest winter sporting event to take place in Park City since the 2002 Winter Olympics.
“It’s fun to get these names out there. Some of these athletes are competing for other countries so Great Britain and Ireland. Just to see that these are the athletes that have grown up in Park City, they’ve been part of our Park City club and now we’re hosting this major international event. To be able to cheer on all of the kids that are your neighbors and your babysitters. Just very exciting to be able to cheer on all of these local kids.”
